When Israel was taken to the borders of the promised land, twelve spies were sent to survey the land and report to the nation (Numbers 13). Before choosing twelve representatives for the task, God promised the land would be theirs: "Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers' tribes, every one a leader among them" (v. 2). No matter what the spies encountered, the promise of God should have had priority and overruled any desire to retreat.
When the spies returned, ten brought back pessimistic (unbelieving) reports (vv. 28-29, 31-33). Two spies, Joshua and Caleb, returned with optimistic (faithful) reports because they believed God and not the circumstances they encountered (v. 30). It is important to note that Caleb never denied that there were "giants in the land"; he believed God was stronger than any army of giants. Why is this so? "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
The nation responded to the report without faith. In effect, they called God a liar: "Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night" (Numbers 14:1). Their refusal to believe the promise of God brought judgment upon the entire nation.
Israel did not enter the promised land until forty years passed and the unbelieving generation died (14:26-38). Their pessimistic perspective of the future affected their plans for the future. The task of dominion was seen as too great for God, hence too great for man under God's providence. Instead of moving forward, they chose to retreat to the past: "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in the wilderness! And why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt? So they said to one another, 'Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt' " (Numbers 14:2-4).
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There is more that zeros right in on the Democrat mindset, but I thought this, alone, would be hard enough to swallow for now.
When the spies returned, ten brought back pessimistic (unbelieving) reports (vv. 28-29, 31-33). Two spies, Joshua and Caleb, returned with optimistic (faithful) reports because they believed God and not the circumstances they encountered (v. 30). It is important to note that Caleb never denied that there were "giants in the land"; he believed God was stronger than any army of giants. Why is this so? "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
The nation responded to the report without faith. In effect, they called God a liar: "Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night" (Numbers 14:1). Their refusal to believe the promise of God brought judgment upon the entire nation.
Israel did not enter the promised land until forty years passed and the unbelieving generation died (14:26-38). Their pessimistic perspective of the future affected their plans for the future. The task of dominion was seen as too great for God, hence too great for man under God's providence. Instead of moving forward, they chose to retreat to the past: "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in the wilderness! And why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt? So they said to one another, 'Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt' " (Numbers 14:2-4).
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There is more that zeros right in on the Democrat mindset, but I thought this, alone, would be hard enough to swallow for now.
